3 - A New Combinatory Paradigm of Buddhism and Kami Worship as Depicted in Japanese Popular Culture

The first waka poem on the combinatory practice of Buddhism and kami worship is a work by Emperor Sutoku (1119–1164), included in the 1188 Senzai wakashu anthology. In principle, inclusion in an imperial collection of waka poems called for a studied avoidance of the combinatory practice of Buddhism and kami worship. Still, it would seem that here, we see the first poem with this type of content being included. Poems expressing the combinatory practice of Buddhism and kami worship at Jingu came to be composed by Saigyo (1118-1190) and Jien (1155-1225). Since then, the combinatory practice of Buddhism and kami worship at Jingu has been expounded in numerous religious texts and passed down in monogatari narratives.

In modern times, however, a new theory of the combinatory practice of Buddhism and kami worship has emerged. The gods and deities in manga, animation, and video games have been developed beyond the traditional theories of the combinatory practice of Buddhism and kami worship. The younger generation in Japan is introduced to the combinatory practice of Buddhism and kami worship theories through Japanese popular culture, and they begin to learn about those traditional practices to understand characters in popular media. In this presentation, I will discuss the new combinatory paradigms of Buddhism and kami worship emerging today and their impact on society via a focus on the creation of a game character (the goddess Amaterasu) and the users of that game.